What is Coping in Psychology?What is Coping in Psychology?
Health and Healing Dealing with Trauma and Addictions
Mike D explains what coping means in psychology, contrasting healthy and harmful strategies for managing stress. The episode offers practical ideas to build more flexible, supportive ways of dealing with anxiety, trauma and everyday pressure.
8:53•10 Jul 2026
What Is Coping in Psychology? Stress, Strategies and Staying Flexible
Episode Overview
- Coping is a flexible process of mental and behavioural efforts to manage stress, not a fixed personality trait.
- Adaptive strategies like problem-solving, acceptance, planning and seeking support are linked to better wellbeing.
- Maladaptive habits such as denial, withdrawal, self-blame and substance use may ease stress short-term but worsen distress over time.
- Avoidance coping, whether cognitive or behavioural, tends to compound problems and undermine mental health.
- Building coping flexibility and practical routines around sleep, activity, diet and connection can reduce anxiety and support healing.
“When you're young, your appearance is evident. When you mature, you look like your decisions.”
What drives someone to seek a calmer, more resilient response to stress? This episode of *Health and Healing Dealing with Trauma and Addictions* brings Mike D’s down-to-earth take on what coping really means in psychology, and why it matters so much if you’re living with anxiety, addiction, trauma or everyday overwhelm. Mike breaks coping down as "a collection of mental and behavioral efforts you use to manage stress" rather than something you either have or you don’t.
He explains how psychologists see stress as an interaction between you and your environment: "You evaluate whether something is a threat, then you assess what you can do about it." From there, he talks through different coping styles and how flexible responses can make a huge difference to your mental health.
You’ll hear a clear contrast between adaptive strategies like problem-solving, positive reframing, acceptance, planning, seeking emotional support and using humour, versus maladaptive habits such as denial, withdrawing, self-blame, substance use and constant venting without resolution. He highlights avoidance coping as especially common and especially sneaky, whether that’s staying busy to dodge anxious feelings or refusing to think about the real issue.
Mike then shifts into practical ideas: taking breaks from news and social media, deep breathing or meditation, journalling, time outdoors, gratitude, regular sleep, incremental exercise and balanced eating. He stresses how social connection, a single trusted friend, and supportive community or faith groups can buffer stress and help you grow. One memorable line sums up the long-term impact of your choices: "When you're young, your appearance is evident.
When you mature, you look like your decisions." If you’ve ever wondered whether your coping strategies are helping or hurting, this episode offers a straightforward lens and simple steps to try something different. Which of your current habits feel worth keeping, and which might be ready for an upgrade?
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